Prem Watsa and his Fairfax team

[Dazel]

I would like thank Prem Watsa and his team for all the hard work they do. Prem’s picture is going back up with the family on the mantle. Great leaders show up during tough times and Prem once again has used his brains and “brass balls” (see David Tepper) to bring Fairfax back from the depths of hell in 2020. 
 

congratulations on a great year Prem and team!

 

Happy New year all!

 

Dazel
 

[Xerxes]

well said Dazel, and happy new year 

[Daphne]

1 hour ago, Dazel said:

I would like thank Prem Watsa and his team for all the hard work they do. Prem’s picture is going back up with the family on the mantle. Great leaders show up during tough times and Prem once again has used his brains and “brass balls” (see David Tepper) to bring Fairfax back from the depths of hell in 2020. 
 

congratulations on a great year Prem and team!

 

Happy New year all!

 

Dazel
 

[petec]

Agreed.

[Parsad]

Agree with Dazel...although, the picture never came off my mantle/wall...it's always been there!  Cheers!

 

[Viking]

At the end of the day performance is what matters. We are all very hard on Prem and team at times. And the severe underperformance from 2014-2020 provided lots of opportunities to be critical. 2021 was an amazing year. Well done team! (It should be noted it was the good decisions made over the past couple of years that drove the outperformance in 2021.)
 

And the set up for Fairfax for 2022 looks solid to very good:

1.) hard market in insurance

2.) bond portfolio positioned for rising rates

3.) set up of largest equity positions is very good: Altas, Eurobank, FFH TRS, India, commodity exposure (Stelco, RFP, ATCO)

 

After 2 energy stocks (CVE and SU) Fairfax is my third largest position (it was the largest by far before the dutch auction). 

Edited January 5, 2022 by Viking

[glider3834]

2 hours ago, Viking said:

And the set up for Fairfax for 2022 looks solid to very good:

1.) hard market in insurance

2.) bond portfolio positioned for rising rates

3.) set up of largest equity positions is very good: Altas, Eurobank, FFH TRS, India, commodity exposure (Stelco, RFP, ATCO)

Yes agree viking - along with earnings/BV growth points 1-3, i think likely we will see a multiple re-rating in 2022 on Fairfax shares ie P/BV x 1 or higher.

 

Fairfax remains my largest equity position.

 

 

 

 

[modiva]

1 hour ago, glider3834 said:

Yes agree viking - along with earnings/BV growth points 1-3, i think likely we will see a multiple re-rating in 2022 on Fairfax shares ie P/BV x 1 or higher.

 

Fairfax remains my largest equity position.

 

+1. Fairfax is also my largest equity position. I expect it to reach 1000 USD in 3-4 years with minimal downside. Assuming they do no harm and continue to execute and buyback stock regularly. 

[cwericb]

My largest holding as well.

Management has been doing very well recently and as far as some of FFH's more controversial holdings are concerned let’s give the team some more space. We may criticize some of the holdings, but surely the management team at Fairfax are in a position to know a lot more about those business than those of us here. While we may feel frustrated at an apparent lack of progress at Blackberry and other holdings, one would think that Fairfax management know considerably more than any of us.

My main criticism of Fairfax is that I feel Prem Watsa’s ego has too much impact on the share price.  You almost never see a headline saying “Fairfax did this or that”, it is always “Prem Watsa does...” Or “Prem Watsa’s Fairfax .....”.  I think it would help if there was more emphasis put on the whole management team that runs the company rather than give the impression that Fairfax is one person. JMHO.

[Hektor]

https://www.fairfax.ca/press-releases/fairfax-announces-the-passing-of-eric-salsberg-2024-05-06/?utm_source=press-release&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Mon+May+06+2024&utm_campaign=Fairfax+Announces+the+Passing+of+Eric+Salsberg

 

Fairfax Financial Holdings Limited (“Fairfax”) (TSX: FFH and FFH.U) announces with great sadness the passing of Eric P. Salsberg, who joined Fairfax in 1988 after acting as counsel to Fairfax on every major transaction it undertook since its founding in 1985.

 

Rick served as Vice President – Corporate Affairs and Corporate Secretary for Fairfax, and provided strategic advice and guidance on countless transactions undertaken by the company over the years. “For all of Fairfax’s history, Ricky has acted as our consigliere and has always represented the true heart and soul of the company. He loved Fairfax and we would not have achieved the success we have without him. Ricky was our partner, trusted friend, and indispensable advisor for 38 years, and all of us here at Fairfax loved him, as did his family, friends, neighbours, and business colleagues,” said Prem Watsa, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Fairfax. “On behalf of the entire Fairfax family, we want to share our most sincere condolences with the Salsberg family on the loss of this truly special person.”

Fairfax is a holding company which, through its subsidiaries, is primarily engaged in property and casualty insurance and reinsurance and the associated investment management.